According to research done by the Ottawa Citizen, Conservative MPs generally vote against their party 0.1 per cent of the time.

While I am all for unity and common vision, this statistic also shows that our elected officials are kept on a tight leash. I would hope that the person I vote for to represent me in Parliament is willing to stand up for what they believe – whether or not it’s the party line or will further their political career. There are hundreds of ideas and tons of creativity in the House of Commons; it’s frustrating that so much of it is not being utilized as MPs are asked to do their party’s bidding rather than pursue their own goals for their constituency. Politicians should never have to be afraid of retribution for voting their conscience.